Planners deny zoning changes for hotel, shopping center

By Ashley Livingston

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008 | 5:18 p.m.

Planners today denied a request for a zone change that would allow construction of a hotel and shopping center west of Interstate 15, between Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road.

The Clark County Zoning Commission instead approved two less intense zoning changes for the 8.4 acre area that was formerly zoned Rural Estates Residential.

The west side of the property, near Dean Martin Drive, is now zoned for office and professional use and the east side, near I-15, is now zoned for local business use.

Applicant and property owner Paige Gross protested the modifications.

The board also denied approval of a design review for the proposed project, which was planned to include a seven-story, 332,759-square-foot hotel and a 44,884-square-foot shopping center.

Gross said the project was appropriate for the area because of its frontage to I-15 and the proximity of other hotels.

Additionally, she said efforts were made to make the project fit in with the neighborhood, which included placing the tallest structure, the hotel, next to the interstate as well as creating intense landscape buffers.

But in pleading their opposition to the board, a number of residents neighboring the parcel expressed concerns that ranged from the loss of the rural ambiance of the area to the interference that the proposed hotel would create in regard to amateur radio use.

Enterprise Town Advisory Board Chairman John Hiatt objected to assumptions being made about future infrastructure allowing easy access to the property.

The project currently does not sit near a freeway interchange, Hiatt said, and that is not likely to change anytime soon.

He also reiterated his opinion that the applicant intended to sell the property once she got it rezoned, rather than build on it.

Commissioner Bruce Woodbury seemed to agree.

“It’s not really a project, it’s land speculation,” he said.

Given that, if the board were to approve conditions, which Woodbury said would be necessary in order to place a resort in a residential area like this, they would be rendered meaningless if the property was sold.

Lucy Stewart, who was one of Gross’ representatives, said Gross was in negotiations to do a joint venture in building the hotel.

Gross said she had no immediate comment on the outcome of the meeting.

Ashley Livingston is a reporter for the Home News. She can be reached at 702-990-8925 or [email protected].